


Revelations

by Mareel



Series: Always [47]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Coming Out, Destroy Ending, Drinking, Family, Headaches & Migraines, Kaidan's past, M/M, Memories, Post-Canon, Post-Mass Effect 3, Vancouver
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-25 01:17:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9795911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mareel/pseuds/Mareel
Summary: A turning point





	

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place approximately a year after the end of the Reaper war, at their home near Vancouver. The events in Kaidan's past happened approximately three and a half years after he returned from BAaT. It is Shepard's voice. 
> 
> Originally posted on Tumblr for Kaidan Week 2016 for the prompt _the between-years_.

 

"Tell me something about your father."

We're out on the deck, even though the November day is windy and not very warm. Kaidan zips up his hoodie as he settles onto the deck chair and accepts the beer I offer. If my question surprises him, he doesn't show it.

"What about him? His career? How he and Mom met in Singapore?"

I pop another beer for myself and pull the other chair close to his. I'm chilly enough to appreciate the hood on my own jacket. I'd suggest going inside, but Kaidan seems more comfortable watching the sea today. It's choppy, with plenty of whitecaps, but that never bothers him. He says it just comes with the change of season here, and he likes to experience it. 

"Anything. How about the time you spent in Vancouver before you enlisted. You drank more than a few beers with him on your balcony then. Were you living there then or just visiting?"

He takes his time in sipping at the beer. "Yeah. Sometimes. I was mostly living there. Dad or Mom or both of them would spend a few days or a weekend sometimes. The orchard kept them busy. But I think they felt like they needed to check up on me from time to time. They usually called, let me know when they'd be around."

I nod, smirking a bit. "That was good of them, gave you a chance to pick up your socks."

"Yeah. Something like that. Or plan to be sober. I think I've mentioned that I had a rough time then... trying to figure out who I was after Jump Zero. They were pretty patient with me most of the time, but sometimes I would... Never mind. That's over."

I reach over to rest a hand on his arm, just wanting him to know I'm here with him.

"One time, Dad forgot to call... or I missed the call or something. I was lying on the couch, fighting a migraine, when I heard the door open. And... well, I wasn't alone."

I rub his arm gently. He's never told me much about his life then and I want him to know that whatever he wants to tell me is okay, and I want to hear it. It's all part of what made him the man he is. 

"I tried to get up, but was dizzy and fell back onto the couch against the guy who was there with me. Managed to say something like _'hey Dad'_ before passing out. Dad had to tell me the rest later."

He goes quiet and picks at the label on the beer bottle. "Dad told me that Brad had introduced himself and said we'd met at a club and I'd started getting sick. We'd been drinking and I was getting visual auras and feeling nauseous. Brad was just someone I'd met there. We'd danced some... seemed like a nice guy. He offered to get me home, didn't think I should be driving."

"Yeah. I'm glad you were with someone who figured out the right thing to do. And then he stayed with you?"

Kaidan nods, reaching for my hand. "Yeah. I felt a little better when we got to the apartment. Decided we might as well watch a movie or something. That's what we were doing when Dad showed up."

He takes another long drink, his eyes focused on the horizon. "Sounds like Dad asked him a lot of questions... wanted to know how much I'd been drinking and if it was just alcohol. You know... so he'd know if my meds would be okay to use. He knew I'd tried a few other things from time to time. Brad was gone by the time I woke up."

I squeeze his hand, stroking my thumb over his palm, waiting for him to relax. "Sounds like it turned out okay. You were lucky. You could have passed out while trying to drive home."

"Yeah. There's one other thing about Dad though. I think it was the first time he'd seen me with a guy. I wasn't dating anyone special... just people I'd meet at clubs or wherever. Never brought anyone home with me. My folks knew about Rahna... at Jump Zero. Probably made assumptions."

"How'd your dad take it?"

I can feel Kaidan finally relaxing. "He was good. Didn't even act surprised. Just wondered if Brad was anyone special to me. Told him no, all I knew of him was his first name. Never saw him again. Dad said something about how he was glad I'd been with someone kind enough to make sure I got home okay and decent enough not to take advantage of the situation."

Kaidan sets the empty aside and shakes his head when I offer another. "You wanted to know about Dad. That was him in a nutshell. He just wanted me to be safe... and happy. I kind of got the idea he'd been hoping Brad _had_ been someone important to me. I'm guessing he must have told Mom about it all. She didn't seem at all surprised when I told her a few years later that I'd met someone... _you_... and that I thought she'd like him."

"I wish I'd had a chance to know your father, Kaidan. I think maybe there's a lot of him in you."

He gets to his feet, still clasping my hand to draw me along with him. It's a little awkward. My leg has stiffened up and I stumble when I stand, but he's there to steady me and he pulls me into his arms.

"I didn't get back into the club scene much after that. Spent a lot of time walking and thinking. Got out of town for a while - did some camping up on the BC coast. Remembered how much I loved the stars - you could see them so well up there."

He's looking into my eyes now, not out at the rough sea. "Maybe we could go up there together some time. Sounds like a good place."

"Yeah. I'd like that. Anyway, it wasn't too long after that when I figured out I wanted to join the Marines, and Dad and I had that talk where he told me he hoped I'd find someone. Someone important to me."

I slide my hand up his arms and around his shoulders, pulling him into a kiss. He rests his forehead against mine and his voice is quiet. "Wish he could know I did."

 


End file.
